Ana de Armas Says Attention During Relationship With Ben Affleck Was ‘Horrible’

Actress Ana de Armas says the attention she got during her romance with Ben Affleck during the pandemic was “horrible.”

The Deep Water co-stars made their relationship official after finishing up filming in March 2020, right before the COVID lockdown. The couple hung out together in Los Angeles during that time, being spotted walking their dogs, wearing matching heart necklaces and hanging out with Affleck’s three kids.

The couple eventually split in January 2021 over the phone. Armas told Elle that she felt trapped in a fishbowl, leading her to move from Los Angeles.

“Going through it confirmed my thoughts about, ‘This is not the place for me to be.’ It became a little bit too much. There’s no escape. There’s no way out.” She said L.A. always gave her “the feeling of something that you don’t have, something missing. It’s a city that keeps you anxious,” she said.

She also shared that her father was sick in Cuba and she was unable to visit him due to pandemic travel restrictions. “At the same time, I was working a lot, and I felt very lucky,” she said.

When the pair split, she reportedly broke off the relationship because she didn’t “want to be Los Angeles-based” and Ben had to stay since his children, whom he shares with Jennifer Garner, live there.

The ex-couple now have new love interests in their lives. Affleck recently married Jennifer Lopez and De Armas has been dating Tinder executive Paul Boukadakis.

Armas now lives in New York City with Boukadakis. They met through mutual friends, having dates in their homes.

Armas will be heading to Italy sometime this summer, presumably with Boukadakis, indulging in “all the limoncellos and tiramisus I can get.”

Her life after Affleck seems to be happier than ever. She recalled her 34th birthday story from April 30 on the set of Ghosted.

“It was at the beach and [there was] a fire pit, and we were working until almost 1 a.m.,” she said. “At the end, I said, ‘Ok. This is my birthday, so I need a Fireball.’ I had everybody with me: my man, my dogs, Chris [Evans] and the crew. I wasn’t home having a romantic dinner; I was on set with my people doing what I love and at the beach and having a shot of Fireball. So that was my 34th birthday. And it is the happiest I’ve been.”